Description

Photos:

Scene: Published by Maan

Body of one of two Palestinians who were shot dead after opening fire on Israelis security forces outside East Jerusalem's Old City. February 14, 2016. Credit: Reuters Published by Haaretz
______

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinians armed with guns were shot dead Sunday by Israeli forces near Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem's Old City, Israeli police said.

Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said police stationed in the area “noticed a young Arab with a bag” before asking him to halt and leave the bag aside.

Police forces opened fire on and killed the young man when he pulled an automatic weapon from the bag and directed it at forces, the spokesperson said. A second Palestinian was then shot dead by police after he opened fire in their direction.

Al-Samri said explosives and a knife were found in the bag. The two were reportedly carrying homemade rifles.

No Israelis were injured during the incident.

The incident was the third deadly shooting by Israeli forces during alleged Palestinian attacks on Sunday, leaving five Palestinians killed.

In the northern occupied West Bank district of Jenin, Israeli forces shot and killed two 15-year-old Palestinian teenagers near the village of al-Araq, after the two allegedly opened fire at Israeli soldiers, according to the Israeli army.

Hours later, Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian after the teen reportedly attempted to stab an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint north of Bethlehem, official Palestinian sources said.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the teen as as Naim Ahmad Yousif Safi from the town of al-Ubediya, just east of Bethlehem.

Israeli forces also shot and injured a 14-year-old Palestinian girl near the Hebron Old City's Ibrahimi Mosque after an alleged attempted stabbing attack.

Local Palestinian sources provided a conflicting report, and told Ma'an the 14-year-old was with her sister, and neither had attempted an attack when she was shot.

No Israelis were injured in any of the incidents.

Over 170 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers since a wave of unrest spread across the occupied Palestinian territory in October.

The unrest has been marked by a surge of small-scale attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals -- predominantly on Israeli military targets -- which have left over 25 Israelis dead, with the majority of suspected Palestinian attackers shot dead on site.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last month said that it was “human nature” for Palestinians to react violently to Israel’s decades-long military occupation, and urged change in Israel’s policies in the occupied area.
_____

by Nir Hasson for Haaretz

Two armed Palestinians were shot dead Sunday evening after opening fire on Israelis security forces outside East Jerusalem's Old City, in the fourth violent incident of the day.

Armed with home-made Carl Gustav-style rifles, the two approached a group of police officers and soldiers at the Damascus Gate and began to shoot, but the forces responded with gunfire, killing the gunmen. No security forces were hurt.

Earlier Sunday, a Palestinian teen was seriously wounded after attempting to stab Border Police officers near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. The assailant, 14-year-old Yasmin A-Tamimi, a resident of Hebron, was rushed to the medical center in Jerusalem after being shot. 

Beforehand, a Palestinian man was shot after attempting to carry out a stabbing attack at a checkpoint in southeastern Jerusalem. He later died of his wounds.

In the morning, two Palestinians were killed by the Israel Defense Forces in an exchange of fire near West Banks separation barrier, next to the village of Araka. The two were shot after allegedly attacking IDF forces, but their family denies the claim.